AirAsia expands to North Asia. (Photo : Getty Images)
Tony Fernandes, CEO of the budget carrier AirAsia, revealed on his Twitter account recently that the Malaysian airline is planning on making another listing in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
His tweet said: "Roadshow next week. Singapore, USA and U.K. To talk about our great future. Looking at more ancillary, more capacity and dual listing."
This indicated that AirAsia is stepping up its operations and plans to formalize the dual listing in Hong Kong. Fernandes is keen on expanding to the Chinese market because of the country's potential to dominate the travel market. Currently, Chinese passengers account for the airlines' frequent fliers.
The CEO also referred to the airline's joint venture with various Chinese banks. AirAsia recently finalized a deal with China's Everbright Bank. Many in the aviation sector speculate that the joint venture will lead in more capital for acquisition of more aircraft.
Fernandes also assigned Kathleen Tan, one of his most trusted executives, to run operations in North Asia. This region will be covering China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea.
Malaysia, the airline's central hub, will now be able to connect passengers from Southeast Asia and Australia to North Asia. This will be done through a combination of short-haul and long-haul flights.
AirAsia flies over 200 flights daily to and from Kuala Lumpur. The airline flies to 100 destinations in 24 countries.
Fernandes admitted that expansion to North Asia is a big task. He said, "There is still a lot to do in North Asia . . . an important long-haul market."
